Learning from the Pandemic: Alberta’s Need for a Comprehensive & Inclusive Long COVID Plan

Abstract

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic (World Health Organization 2020). Two years later, we are seeing a new phenomenon: long COVID. An individual is diagnosed with long COVID if they have various symptoms including but not limited to loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath or a lingering cough, and mental health concerns for eight weeks post acquiring COVID-19 (Park Integrative Health 2021). As many as 118,894 to 362,629 Albertans will experience long COVID (Alberta 2022b; Smith 2022). However, some groups were disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and subsequently long COVID. Immigrants are one such group due to poor work conditions, not knowing their rights as workers and language barriers. Alberta lacks a long COVID strategy that provides financial, social, and legal protections for those experiencing long COVID. Most importantly, Alberta needs a long COVID strategy that is inclusive in that it meets the needs of underserved populations such as immigrants. This strategy must have input from policy makers as well as epistemic communities. As well, data acquisition, specifically when it comes to race-based data needs to be in the forefront of this strategy. Alberta can model its program after other jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom, that have strategies in place. The strategy should be informed by the efforts by various members of Alberta’s epistemic community including but not limited to Healing Centred Cooperative’s music and breathwork program. The pandemic brought with it restrictions, changes, and even loss. Nevertheless, there was a silver lining in the pandemic. We can use what we learned to improve rehabilitation services for Albertans, especially those underserved like immigrants, in the long term.